Working With TAPS

Use the Tool for Auto-Registered Phones Support (TAPS) in conjunction with BAT to provide two features:

•Update MAC addresses and download predefined configuration for new phones.

•Reload configuration for replacement phones.

When new phones are added to Cisco CallManager, TAPS works in conjunction with BAT to update phones that were added to BAT using dummy MAC addresses. After the phones with dummy MAC addresses have been bulk-added to Cisco CallManager Administration using BAT, you can plug the phones into the network. You or the phones user can dial a TAPS directory number that causes the phone to download its configuration. At the same time, the phone gets updated in Cisco CallManager Administration with the correct MAC address. You must make sure that Auto-registration is enabled in Cisco CallManager Administration (System > Cisco CallManager) for TAPS to function.

For example, you have 100 new hires starting on Monday. You must add these users and their new phones to Cisco CallManager Administration. You can use BAT to create a phone template for these 100 users and a CSV file for phones and users. By using the dummy MAC address option in the CSV file, you do not need to input the individual MAC addresses for the 100 new phones. Now, as long as auto-registration is enabled, the phones can be plugged directly into the network, and configured by simply dialing the TAPS directory number (by you or the new hire) and following the voice-prompt instructions.

When replacing an existing phone (due to damage, for example), use Configure TAPS, so the user can receive a new phone, plug it into the network, and dial the TAPS directory number to download the configuration used by the previous phone. You must ensure that auto-registration is enabled for Configure TAPS to work. The process requires no configuration changes by the user or in Cisco CallManager Administration.

For example, John's Cisco IP Phone 7940 gets short-circuited during a lightning storm. He receives a new Cisco IP Phone 7940 and plugs it into the network. John can dial the TAPS directory number, and the new phone will download the configuration previously used for the damaged phone. No need exists to change directory numbers or to update device information in Cisco CallManager Administration — TAPS does it automatically. See the "Configuring TAPS" section for more information.

You must enable auto-registration in Cisco CallManager Administration (System > Cisco CallManager) for TAPS to function. If auto-registration is not enabled in Cisco CallManager Administration (System > Cisco CallManager), TAPS will not function.

Because TAPS can replace a directory number, you may want to protect certain directory numbers from being overwritten. You can protect important numbers by using the Secure TAPS application. See the"Securing TAPS" section for more information.

The TAPS application, which is installed on a Cisco CRA server, also requires components to be installed on the server running the Cisco CallManager Publisher database.

Configuring TAPS

You must configure TAPS by adding a CTI route point, CTI ports, and users in Cisco CallManager Administration. Like any other application in the Cisco IP telephony system, TAPS requires configuring. See the Cisco CRA Release Notes for complete information. You can review the Application Server documentation by browsing to http:\\www.cisco.com and choosing Software Center > Voice Software > Cisco CRA. Open the documentation for instructions on how to configure an application.

You need only one CTI route point for TAPS. You will need at least one CTI port, but you can configure as many ports as you would like to make available to TAPS users.

In Cisco CallManager Administration

•Create a CTI route point and assign it a unique directory number.

•Set call forward busy, call forward no answer, and call forward on failure to the operator number on the TAPS CTI route point.

•Create one or more CTI ports with consecutive directory numbers. You can create CTI ports in BAT or Cisco CallManager Administration.

TAPS supports a maximum number of sessions equal to the number of CTI ports configured for TAPS. For example, if you have configured five CTI ports, up to five users can dial into TAPS at same time. The sixth caller cannot connect to TAPS.

•Create a user. The TAPS route point and ports should be in the users control devices list.

•Create an auto-registration partition/calling search space to prevent phones that have auto-registered from dialing any directory number other than the directory number assigned to the TAPS CTI route point. Restricting access to this directory number ensures that users download the proper configuration information for their phones.

•Upload TAPS.aef using the Repository Manager on the Cisco CRA server. See Step 2 in the "Installing TAPS" section for instructions.

For information about how to add or assign these values, see the Cisco CallManager Administration System Guide.

The Configure TAPS feature allows you to use TAPS to update phones that auto-registered regardless of whether they were entered into the Cisco CallManager database via Cisco CallManager Administration or via BAT using a dummy MAC address. The default limits use of TAPS to only those phones added using the dummy MAC address option in BAT. Phones with dummy MAC addresses have a device name that starts with the prefix "BAT." You can use Configure TAPS to allow any phone that auto-registered in the Cisco CallManager system to be updated, including phones that have a MAC address that is not preceded by "BAT." This capability proves useful when you need to replace one phone with a same model phone. As long as auto-registration is enabled in Cisco CallManager Administration, the user can plug in the new phone and then dial the TAPS directory number to retrieve the configuration previously used by the old phone.

Use the following steps to configure TAPS, so the device profile of any phone on the system can be updated, not just phones added to BAT using the dummy MAC address option.

The default limits use of TAPS to only those phones added using the dummy MAC address option in BAT. Phones added to the Cisco CallManager database with dummy MAC addresses always have a device name that starts with the prefix "BAT." However, if you have changed the configuration of TAPS to allow any phone that was added to the system using auto-registration (as explained in the section, Allowing TAPS to Update Any Cisco IP Phone Added Using Auto-Registration), you must follow these steps to restore the default setting, so TAPS can only be used to update phones with the `BAT' prefix.

Securing TAPS

The Secure TAPS feature lets you specify directory numbers that the TAPS feature cannot access. Use this capability when you want to protect directory numbers from being accidentally assigned.

For example, in your system, the directory number 5000 provides voice-mail access. You do not want a new user to mistakenly configure 5000 on the new phone. Secure TAPS allows you to specify the directory numbers that TAPS cannot access.

A list box displays the directory numbers that you have protected. TAPS cannot use the directory numbers shown in this list. If a user tries to update a device profile by entering one of the directory numbers in this list, TAPS will refuse the request.

Note The View Secure DN list box does not automatically refresh. If you want to see the latest list of secured directory numbers, you should click Refresh List to redisplay an updated list.

A list box displays the directory numbers that are protected. TAPS cannot use the directory numbers shown in this list. If a user tries to update a device profile by entering one of the directory numbers in this list, TAPS will refuse the request.

Note The View Secure DN list box does not automatically refresh. If you want to see the latest list of secured directory numbers, you should click Refresh List to redisplay an updated list.

A prompt indicates that no directory numbers will be secured from TAPS.

Step 3 Click Yes to clear all directory numbers or click No to cancel the reset operation.

A prompt advises you that the list of directory numbers protected from TAPS has been cleared.

Step 4 Click OK.

Using TAPS, configure TAPS and secure TAPS, you can update every auto-registered phone with any directory number in the system. If you want to protect directory numbers so they cannot be updated using TAPS, see Restricting Directory Numbers.

A list box displays. TAPS cannot use the directory numbers shown in this list. If a user tries to update a device profile by entering one of the directory numbers in this list, TAPS will refuse the request.